"She was the one who said 'I've been advised my staff did tip off the media', nobody else divulged that information. I don't regard that as a hanging offence," Senator Leyonhjelm told reporters in Canberra on Thursday.

Both men spoke glowingly of their dealings with Senator Cash, who is under mounting pressure to quit.

"She said it had absolutely nothing to do with her office. At the time she told me that, I accept that she believed that," Senator Xenophon told ABC Radio.